How Jacques Pépin Makes Cabbage 10x Better With A Tangy Sauce

Cabbage is so versatile and affordable that it can find a welcome place on just about any table. Still, Jacques Pépin makes his 10 times better with a tangy sauce, letting it braise over low heat to let the flavors soak in as the leaves soften.

The key to this sauce is the balance between acid, sugar, and spice. Pépin prefers apple cider vinegar, a secret ingredient for any cabbage recipe, because its fruitiness perfectly complements the natural nuttiness of the vegetable. Still, he often (and controversially) uses ketchup as a thickener as well, so you can substitute a bit of this in if you like it a bit more hearty. The key is to dilute about one part acid with two parts water, providing enough moisture for the veggie to braise without diluting the flavors too much. Add in some red pepper flakes, salt, onion, and garlic at the beginning, and you get something that's as bold as it is satisfying.

If you don't need to keep this recipe vegan, Pépin also likes to brown some bacon at the beginning to add in some umami. However, you can achieve the same result by adding some fermented sauces like tamari or soy sauce instead of salt, or even frying up some mushrooms instead. Regardless, be sure to use only one pan for this recipe so that your cabbage has every opportunity to absorb maximum flavor, and to keep cleanup nice and easy.

While Jacques Pépin's sauce is delicious, it's basic enough to allow for some experimentation. Provided you keep the moisture levels the same, roughly ¾ cups for 10 cups of cabbage, there's no real limit on what you can add or substitute.

If you want to use this recipe as a topping, you may want to shift the ingredients towards options that are lighter and more delicate. Of all the vinegars you should have in your pantry, white wine vinegar is the best option, imparting soft floral notes to the dish. You can also substitute onions for shallots to remove the acetic bite, but sweet onions also work well, softening the stronger tang of most vinegars. If you want to keep the umami meatiness from the bacon but don't want quite as much flavor, try frying some uncured pork belly instead.

If you plan for your cabbage to be the entrée or a powerful side dish, your easiest option is to substitute some of the water with more vinegar. You can always add more sweetness to keep the taste without extra tang, and brown sugar and honey are a match made in heaven when it comes to savory recipes. If you want more, and more complex, meatiness, try substituting the bacon for pancetta or even guanciale. These have a far richer depth of flavor but plenty of fat to brown up the cabbage nicely while the moisture levels reduce.